Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-12-09

rRN PIONEER TURNS HIS HAIR A
SNOW WHITE. A STARTLING Incl
DENT OF THE WAR WITH TIE SlOOA
INDIANS IN 1876.
rFrom the Cincinnati Enquirer
There are few persons who are
really aware of one of the leading
causes which prolonged the Sioux
war of 1876. and that led to the
massacre Of Custer and his brave
little band of soldiers on the banks
OF the Little Big horn. History,
in attempting to trace up the diff
/ ferent causes which led to this re-
suit. though endeavOring to give
reasons, has apparently omitted TO
mention one of the prime causes OF
/ the conflict, and IN cropping Tor
such information, the reader IS
generally left in obscure darkness.
Itis strange, too, that this chlei
event. winch evidently precipitated
war so much earlier than it would
otherwise have occurred, seems to
have been either overlooked or
neglected by the historian, and,
consequently, a large portion OF
some of the most important and
interesting events of those times
has passed 10y unnOticed, or only
treasured uD 10y those who partici-
pated, possibly to appear at some
future time, or, perchance, be for
gotten altogether.
Among the hardy and most
cOurag ageous pioneers Of Montana
was Paul Mccormick, now a resi-
deut of Junction City. that terri
tory, and merchant of consider
able wealth and influence. His
I wife is an Eastern lady, handsome
and intelligent, and withal a rare
beauty and extremely youthful in
appearance. But what most strikes
the eye of a stranger on catching
sight Of Mr.. Mccormick and his
lovely wife is that the apparent diff
ference in their ages is quite a
matrimonial anomaly, the formers
hair and whiskers being snow
white, while the latter's hair is Jet
black and glossly, and she posses
ses such fresh and rosy features as
to be easily mistaken for a young
maiden of sweet sixteen, instead of
the better.half Of a man whose
head indicates seventy or eighty
winters. Nevertheless, Mr.. Nc
COrmick'S face has a bright, healthy
look, and il you will observe close
~ you will, perhaps, discover that
his features do not really indicate
more than a few years past thirty.
Still, on first impression, you ere
far more inclined to eXclaim to
yourself, "What a pity to marry a
man old enough to be her grand
father !"
Paul Mccormick was one of the
foremost pioneers of Montana, ar
irving there from New York some
time during 1860, when but a
young man in his "teens" and late
from college. His parents we're
not only wealthy and highly re-
spected, but his father was con-
sidered one of the most influential
men in the city in which he resided.
The son early displayed an un-
common love of adventure, which
Mr.. Mccormick endeavOTed in va
rIOus ways to appease, but ap-
parently all his efforts were in
vain, for Paul gave up a most de-
sirable position to accept a clerk
ship with a Sioux Indian agent not
far from Fort Buford, on the Upper
Missouri river, arriving at the new
location some time early in the
summer of the year mentioned.
Here he remained two years,
when, on receiving a more remuner-
ative offer at Fort Benton, the
head of steamboat navigation on
that uver, he gave up his former
position and proceeded thither.-
Shortly afterward, however, he
drifted to Alder Gulch or Virginia
City, there being at that time much
excitement in consequence Of the
gold discoveries. From Alder
Gulch he went to "hast Chance" or
Helena, and later reached Boze-
man. These settlements we're then
the only ones Of any Importance
within the daring energy of Nc
Cormick and a few other individ-
uals who, q: Bozeman, conceived
the idea II n outlet east and
through the indian country, then
in possession o. the bloody Sioux.
1t was a desperate undertaking
and fraught with the most serious
perils, as that entire section was
then swarming with hOrdes OF
hostile sayages ready to ponnce
upon and destroy any whites who
might attempt to cross or invade
these domains. Nevertheless, this
did not defer these daring pioneers
from the enterprise, and accord
ingly two boats were hastily con.
structed at Benson's Landing,
which, after being loaded with
goods, provisions, arms and am
munition, hoated leisurely down
the Yellowstone to an unknown
destination. These boats were
manned by over forty brave and